Page 163 of These Summer Storms

“What?” She swung to face him, feeling panicked, like she wasn’t getting enough oxygen. Like she was getting too much.

“I don’t work at Storm anymore.”

“Since when?”

He looked at his watch. “A little before midnight.”

Before midnight. He hadn’t finished the week. “You gave up the money, Jack…the stock was worth—”

“It doesn’t matter,” he said, watching Larry make his way up the slate steps. “That’s not the stock I’m aiming for.”

Her heart began to pound as he turned to face her, taking his sunglasses off to meet her eyes. “I don’t ever want you to think I’m staying because of the money. I never want you to think I’m even remotely like that other guy.”

He was perfect. He’d done the only thing he could do to prove he was in it for her. He’d given it all up. He didn’t get the money for completing his task, and as he no longer worked for Storm, he couldn’t claim the company’s Class A stock.

But she would make very certain he always had her. “I don’t think that. I would never think that.”

“Good.”

He was nothing like Griffin. He wasn’t even in the same league as Griffin. That had been clear from the moment he’d sat down on the train. She looked out at the water, thinking of all the times she’d been in this exact place, wondering what came next.

Right now, though, she didn’t wonder that. She knew.

Jack came next.

Theycame next.

She turned to face him, loving the way his arms came around her when she said, softly, “I used to think you were just like my dad.”

“Me, too,” he said.

“You’re not,” she said, thinking of her father’s letter. “You’re better.”

“I don’t know about that,” he said, his voice going deep in his chest. In her ear. “I still want it all.”

“What do you want?” she whispered.

He didn’t look away. “A boat. The ocean. Someone to sail with me.”

It was perfect. She pressed closer to him, suddenly nervous. Terrified that now he’d spoken it, he’d take it away. “Is that it?”

“Mmm,” he said, the sound a low rumble in his throat as he lifted a hand, stroking his thumb over her cheek, pressing his forehead to hers. “Maybe she introduces me to her friends. Maybe she lets me watch her paint. Maybe she lets me love her.”

“No maybe about it.” Alice lifted herself up on her toes, breathless with the words.Yes. Love me. “It’s a promise.” She met his kiss, loving the way he tipped her back, and kissed her like they were by themselves, far from anyone who might take offense.

“Gross.”

She broke the kiss with a smile as Jack leaned in to kiss her temple. “Good morning, Sam.” Alice took in her brother’s dirty T-shirt, jeans,and heavy rain boots that he had to have borrowed from somewhere. “Sam…have you been…working? Like, with your hands?”

“I figured someone should know what goes on here now that Dad is gone,” he said. “I thought maybe I’d bring the kids back over fall break. Give them a chance to rake leaves or something.”

“I would very much like to see that. Maybe Sila should come. She could use it.”

He barked a little laugh. “Yeah. I don’t think so. I think we’ll try co-parenting for a bit.”

The idea of co-anythinging with either Sam or Sila was terrifying, truly, but Alice wasn’t interested in judging that day.

Instead, she said, “Well, I’m proud of you.”

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